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From Apartheid to Democracy

About the Book

"From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine" offers a bold, new plan to end apartheid and occupation in Israel-Palestine, creating the conditions for Palestinians and Israelis alike to democratically decide how they wish to be governed – in one, two or more states. Breaking from the policy stagnation left in the wake of the failed Oslo Process, the Blueprint offers a detailed roadmap for the global community to envision a way out of the current, one-state, apartheid reality. Crucially, it does not precondition ending the crimes of apartheid and occupation on bilateral negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis marred by skewed power dynamics.

The Blueprint's three year transition process commences with the appointment of a locally led transitional government in all of Israel-Palestine and culminates in a popular referendum on questions of statehood and governance; it establishes a secure, just and equitable framework for subsequently resolving other important questions, such as the return of refugees, justice and accountability.

Purchase the book: 

Amazon         Barnes & Noble        UC Press (pre-order)

For interviews, events, and reviews, please contact: 
 

 For registration details for all events, contact: blueprint@dawnmena.org 

About the Authors

Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man
Israel-Palestine Director, DAWN

Sarah Leah Whitson is Executive Director of DAWN and former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa Division.

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Reviews

"Neither utopian nor resigned, From Apartheid to Democracy is a pragmatic road map for transforming an undemocratic one-state reality into a democratic one. The world desperately needs the conversation this book is trying to start by demonstrating that policy alternatives do indeed exist."

- Nathan Thrall, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy

"With the two-state settlement paradigm reduced by its sponsors to an unattainable slogan, Michael Omer-Man and Sarah Whitson ask a more pertinent question: How can the existing yet dystopian one-state reality be transformed into a civilized space that offers all within it a future worth living? There is no dearth of literature making the case for a democratic one-state solution. The authors of this book distinguish themselves by offering a practical and detailed blueprint to achieve it, informed by the breadth and depth of their knowledge and experience. In producing this text, the authors have provided a vital contribution to both scholarship and advocacy on the subject, which the seismic events in the region since October 2023 have served to make more rather than less relevant and urgent."

- Mouin Rabbani, coeditor of Jadaliyya

"Compassionate, rigorous, and visionary, From Apartheid to Democracy provides a necessary antidote to the prevailing orthodoxy concerning Palestine/Israel that offers no plausible path toward durable peace. In defining concrete and realizable steps to address current injustices, the authors inspire hope for a better future for all people who live there."

- George Bisharat, Professor Emeritus of Law, UC Law San Francisco

"A bold proposal for holding Israel accountable to international law to end its apartheid regime and ensure equal rights for all people under its rule. Offering nine practical steps that can transform the undemocratic one-state reality into a democratic one, From Apartheid to Democracy is insightful, lucid, and urgent. It is a must-read for policymakers and anyone keen on finding a way out of the ongoing impasse, failed solutions, and the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis alike."

- Leila Farsakh, editor of Rethinking Statehood in Palestine: Self-Determination and Decolonization Beyond Partition

"Omer-Man and Whitson's From Apartheid to Democracy challenges conventional thinking and models for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and presents a bold and innovative approach. A must-read for anyone seeking a democratic and peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis."

- Michael Sfard, Israeli human rights lawyer and author of The Wall and the Gate: Israel, Palestine, and the Legal Battle for Human Rights

"Many visions for the future of Israel-Palestine have been articulated, but scant attention has been given to what it will take, practically speaking, to achieve them. Drawing on meticulous research about the law and politics of Israel-Palestine and best practices elsewhere, From Apartheid to Democracy fills that void. Its step-by-step plan for a transition to an equal and peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians raises provocative questions. But in a world where policymakers have shown little willingness to do more than wring their hands about the tragedy in the Middle East—when they're not washing them entirely—it's a provocation that's long overdue."

- Omar M. Dajani, Joint Board Co-Chair of A Land for All and Carol Olson Professor of International Law, McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific

Media Coverage

* November 12, 2025 – "Veteran Middle East Negotiator Aaron David Miller, DAWN's Sarah Leah Whitson, and Former CIA Analyst Paul Pillar Join to Unpack Trump's Proposed Gaza Peace and Reconstruction Plan, the Exclusion of Palestinians from Negotiations, and the Uncertain Prospects for Its Success." KPFA, 

* November 12, 2025 – Walt, Stephen M. "Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East." Foreign Policy.

* November 5, 2025 – Rutgers Center for Security, Race & Rights, dir. From Apartheid to Democracy: A Blueprint for Peace in Israel-Palestine.

* November 5, 2025 – Adler, Jonathan. "How to End Israeli Apartheid." +972 Magazine

* October 25, 2025 – Gottlieb, Robert. "From Apartheid to Democracy – a 'Blueprint' for a Different Future in Israel-Palestine." Books. The Guardian.

* August 11, 2025 – Cohen, Burt. "A Blueprint for A Future Israel/Palestine." KDA Keeping Democracy Alive Podcast & Radio Show, 

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